Though we'd welcome people switching from UKIP, I'd say No2EU is more concerned with taking votes off the BNP. There is a large number of people who will vote for them as a protest, despite knowing they're a bunch of racist morons. Our local campaign group has spoken to dozens of people who think this way, and with a bit of hard work and a dose of hope we'll be able to take enough from them to ensure they don't land a seat.

what do you make of the following para from a recent posting from Organised Rage:

"When I approached Comrades who are standing for the no2eu on this, they have told me don’t believe all you read about not taking up our seats, if elected we will meet again and decide whether we take our seats. In other words no2eu is going to the electorate on a lie."

http://bit.ly/RrubA

Doesn't look good that no2eu are already planning to break a campaign promise.

"We were invited late into No2EU. We had to make a snap decision - do we, despite the obvious problems and deficiencies of the platform, accept the invitation of the most militant trade union in the land to work with them on their first independent election campaign since the foundation of the Labour party, or not? I think the SP made the right decision, and I believe the relationships being forged now will produce some very interesting times for working class political representation over the coming year."

No2EU has proven to be an evolving beast since its foundation a couple of months ago and every, if not all areas are expected to take up seats if we win some. The problem is the website hasn't been updated to reflect this movement.

I understand that Bob Crow has now said that the organisation will be wound up after June 4th. Given that part of the argument was that it was to enable working with the RMT - in fact, very few RMT members seem to be involved and there are few RMT candidates on the slate - to build something more lasting, doesn't this rather shoot a bit of a hole in that boat?

Hi Arthur, from the beginning it was understood that No2EU was a temporary thing. It is now the platform's position that how it will proceed after the election will be decided on a local basis.

As the campaign has worn on more support has been forthcoming from the RMT branches, both logistically and in terms of monies raised. And it's not just the RMT - our local group has had excellent receptions from the postal depots we've visited.

I've said it before - No2EU is part of a process of refounding working class political representation.

Actually Dave Nellist was an MP who did the job on a workers' wage. The No2EU campaign will not be joining the gravy train and will spend more time campaigning for workers rights than sitting in the European parliament.

Whatever the outcome of this election it is a psychological bridgehead: a trade union has stood candidates against the New Labour corrupt canaille.

Re: the temporary nature of No2EU, Arthur, see more recent posts on this subject. Bob Crow publicly committed himself to the process of refounding working class political representation after the European elections. Presumably No2EU played no small part in this.